Journal-box.



No. 734,250. PATENTED'JULY 21, 1903 D. YONDORF.

JOURNAL BOX.

APPLIOATIOK FILED AUG. 21, 1902.

AI m

LL91. yer 119i ir 5 f 2 2 2 32 I I anew/tor:- q M f 72y. r W

m: norms PEYERS cc, mnxurncq VILWINGTUN, o

* UNITED S ATES iatented .l'uly 2 1, 190$.

PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID YoNpoRF, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

JouR'N-AfuBox.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,250, dated July 21, 1903.

Application filed August 21, 902. Serial No. 120,459. (No model-l To all whom/it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID-YONDORF, of

Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Journal-Boxes; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This inventionrelates to improvements in journal-boxes of that kind used for railway and other cars, and more especially to the construction ofa locking device for the lid or cover of such journal-boxes.

Theinven'tion'consistsin the matters hereinafter described,and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

7 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in central sectionofajournal-box embodying my invention. Fig; 2' is a face view thereof. Fig.3 is a view in side elevation thereof. Fig.- 4 is a detail section taken upon line 4 4 of Fig. 1 Fig. 5 is a detail section taken upon line 5 5'of Fig. 4:, showing in side elevation one of the locking-lugs in the side wall of the-journal-box.

As shown in said drawings, A designates the body of a journal-box, the same consisting of a hollow casting having integral top, bottom, and side walls; B, the bearing or brass located in the upper part of the box, and C1 the journal which projects into said box through the rear wall thereof and which'is' seated in the said hearing or brass.

D indicates the lid orcover, which is hinged at its upper margin to the top wall of the box, as is common in such structures, the hinged joint between said upper wall of the box and the said lid or cover being, as herein shown, formed by means of a central lug D on the upper margin of the lid, which is perforated to receive a pivot pin or r'odE and two hingelugs A 4', formed on the said upper wall of the box, at either side thereof, and which are apertured to receive the ends of said pivot pin or rod.

For holding the lid or cover in its closed position a lockin g device is provided as follows: F indicates a locking lever which extends across the outer face of the said lid or cover joted centrally to the outer face of the said -;lid' D by means of a pivot bolt or stud f.

When in its horizontal or looking position, thesaid' lever B extends at its ends some- ;iwhat past the side margins of the lid or cover,

and its-end portions which so project beyond the side margins of the lid or cover are adapted for engagement with lugs A A which are provided on the side walls of the box and extend outwardly or forwardly from the side margins of the cover in position for engagement with the ends of said locking-lever. Said lugs are provided with notches or recesses, (indicated by a 0,, Figs. 4 and 5,) which are arranged in the plane "of the locking-le ver and in position to be engaged by the ends of said lever when'the same 'is' in its looking or horizontal position, as seen in Fig. 2. The

locking grooves or recesses q, a are, more- 0ve r,"formed with their outer. overhanging faces or. bearing-shoulders inclined in such manner that as the'ends'of'th'e said lockinglevers enter the grooves or recesses they will bear against the inclined shoulders of the grooves and be forced thereby inwardly toward the face of the lidor cover, as more clearlyshown in Fig. 5.] The inclination of the bearing-shoulders of the two lugs at opposite sides of the box are reversely arranged, so

that as the locking-lever is swung on its central pivot in a manner to bring one of its ends upwardly and the other downwardly, so as to bring its ends toward and into engagement with the lugsfthe rising end of the'lockinglever will enter the wider lower end of one of the locking-grooves, while the descending end of the locking-lever will enter the wider end of the other lockingroove. In other words, the locking-grooves are both made wider at one end than at the other, the wider end in i from side to side thereof and which is pivthe case of the lug A being located at. the

bottom and the wider endin the case of the lug A at the top of the lug, the rising endof As shown in the drawings and as preferably constructed, the locking-grooves do not extend entirely through the lugs A and A but said grooves are closed at their narrower or inner ends, although this construction is not essential. The inner or closed ends of the grooves manifestly constitute, in the construction illustrated, stops to limit the movement of the locking-lever when it reaches its horizontal or looking position, but manifestly otherwise-arranged stop-surfaces may be employed should the grooves be not closed at their inner ends. Said locking-lever F is provided with a central depending actuatingarm F, which extends downwardly from the pivot f and reaches somewhat beyond the lower margin of the lid or'cover. Upon the outer face of the cover, near its lower margin and in position to engage the side edge of the actuating-arm F when the locking-lever to which it is attached is in its looking or horizontal position, is a locking-lug D which has an abrupt shoulder at its side adjacent to the actuating-arm, said shoulder being located in position for contact of the arm therewith when the locking-lever is in its locking or horizontal position. Said actuating-arm F is made of flexible or resilient material, so that it may be bent or sprung outwardly away from the face of the lid or cover far enough to enable it to pass over the lockinglug D when it is desired to swing the actuating-lever backwardly to release the lockinglever and open the lid. Preferably the locking-lever and the actuating-arm F will be made or formed of a single piece of sheetsteel or like thin resilient metal adapted to afiord the necessary elasticity in the actuating-arm F. A stoplug D is located on the outer face of the lid or cover in position to have contact with the upper part of the locking-lever when the same isin its inclined or releasing position, said stop-lug serving to limit the movement of the locking-lever as the same is being moved to its releasing or unlocking position. Said stop-lug will preferably be so located as to arrest the movement of the locking-lever when the actuating-arm thereof rests upon the locking-lug D this construction being desirable in order to prevent said arm passing to the rear of and dropping behind said lug. By arranging the parts as described-that is, by placing the stop-lug in such position that the movement of the locking-lever is arrested when the actuating-arm rests upon the top or outer surface of the locking-lug-itis merely necessary to push the actuating-arm sidewise far enough to bring its rear edge opposite the shoulder of the locking-lug, when said actuating-arm will automatically engage the locking-lug and thereby hold the locking-lever from backward movement until such time as the said actuating-arm is drawn outwardly to free it from the locking-lug in the operation of the locking-lever.

The lids of the journal-boxes of the kind herein described are usually operated by means of a hook or like implement, and in order that such implement may be conveniently engaged with the lower end of the actuating-arm for moving the same the lower end of the arm is inwardly curved at its opposite sides, so as to form shallow notches adaptedv to prevent the hook from slipping from the arm when engaged therewith either for opening or closing it.

In the act of opening the lid or cover when the same is closed and locked by the engagement of the ends of the lockingdever with the locking-shoulders at the sides of the box it is merely necessary to draw outwardly the lower end of the actuating-lever until it is free from the locking-lug and then shift the said lever or arm sidewise far enough to carry the ends of the locking-lever out of engagement with said looking-shoulders. After the lockinglever has thus been released the lid may be opened by drawing outwardly on the end of the actuating-arm. The lid may of course be released either by the hand of the operator or by hooks such as are above referred to. When a hook is used, it is merely necessary to engage the side edge of the lower end of the actuating-arm with the hook to draw the actuating-arm sidewise far enough to release the ends of the locking-lever from the locking-grooves and then draw outwardly and upwardly on the end of the actuatingarms to lift and open the lid or cover. In closing and locking the lid or cover said lid is thrown downwardly against its seat and the actuating-arm then thrust sidewise until the ends of the locking-lever are carried into engagement with the locking-shoulders on the side walls of the box. The operation of closing and locking the lid is therefore a very simple one, it being merely necessary to throw the lid down against its seat and then thrust the actuating-arm sidewise, said sidewise movement of the arm serving to force the ends of the locking-lever beneath the inclined shoulders of thelocking-grooves, and thereby forcing the lid tightly against its seat on the box, while at the same time the sidewise movement of the actuating-arm brings the same into position to engage the shoulder of the locking-lug, whereby the locking-lever is locked or held from any disengaging movement or movement in a direction to disengage the same from the locking-shoulders. Manifestly the engagement of the spring or yielding actuating-arm with the said lockinglug D prevents possibility of the locking-lever being jarred out of its locking position, while at the same time the lever can be quickly released by drawing outwardly the said actuating arm and then moving the same sidewise, as hereinbefore described.

Inasmuch as the looking-lever and its actuating-arm may be formed or stamped from a single piece of sheet metal or like metal, it is manifest that these parts may be very cheaply constructed.

It is to be understood that the special form of locking-lever and coacting parts illustrated is one only of several forms in which these parts may be made, and that I do not desire to be limited to the specific details of construction shown except as faras the same may be specified in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a journal-box, a lid therefor, and a locking-lever pivoted to said lid; said box having at the sides thereof locking-shoulders for engagement with the ends of the locking-lever, the said lever being pro vided with a yielding actuating-arm, and the lid with a stationary locking-lug adapted for engagement with said arm to hold the locking-lever from movement.

2. The combination of a journal-box, a lid therefor, and a locking-lever pivoted to said lid, said journal-box being provided at the sides of the lid with inclined locking-shoulders for engagement with the ends of the locking-lever, said locking-lever being provided with a yielding actuating-arm, and the lid being provided with a stationary locking-lug adapted for engagement with said arm to hold the locking-lever from movement.

3. The combination of a journal-box, a lid therefor, and a pivoted looking-lever on the lid; said box being provided at the sides of the lid with outwardly-projecting lugs, provided with grooves having inclined lockingshoulders adapted for engagement with the ends of the locking-lever, said locking-lever being provided with a yielding actuating-arm, and the lid with a stationary locking-lug located in position for engagement with said arm.

4. The combination of a journal-box, a lid therefor, and a locking-lever pivoted to said lid; said box being provided at the sides of the lid with inclined shoulders adapted for engagement with the ends of the locking-lever, said lever being provided with a yielding actuating-arm which projects laterally from said lever between the ends thereof, and the lid with a locking-lug adapted for engagement with the said arm,said locking-lever and arm consisting of a single piece of sheet metal.

5. The combination of a journal-box, a lid therefor, and a locking-lever pivoted to the lid; said box being provided at the sides of said lid with inclined shoulders adapted for engagement with the ends of said locking-lever, said lever being provided with a yielding actuating-arm, and the lid having a lockinglug adapted for engagement with said actuating-arm, and having also a stop-lug for arresting the movement of the locking-lever when the same is thrown into its unlocking or releasing position.

6. The combination of a journal-box, a lid therefor, and a locking-lever pivoted to said lid; said box being provided at the sides of the lid with an inclined shoulder adapted for engagement with the ends of the locking-lever, said lever being provided with a depending actuating arm which projects laterally from said lever between the ends of the latter and extends downwardly past the lower edge of the lid, andsaid lid having a lockinglug located in position to engage the said actuating-arm when the locking-lever is in its locked position.

7. The combination with a journal-box, a

lid therefor and a pivoted locking-lever, said box being provided at the sides of the lid with locking-shoulders for engagement by the ends of the locking-lever, a yielding, actuatiug-arm on said lever and a stationary lug on the lid adapted for engagement with said arm to hold the lever in looking engagement with said shoulders, said arm being provided with a projection adapted for manual engagement by which it is released from the lug, said projection affording means for swinging the box lid open.

In testimony that I claim, the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in pres-' ence of two witnesses,this 19th day of August,

A. D. 1902. DAVID YoNDoRF;

Witnesses:

O. CLARENCE POOLE, WILLIAM L. HALL. 

